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Focus on “effort to break Russia’s energy grip over Ukraine and other European countries”

Washington, D.C. – The House Foreign Affairs Committee, chaired by U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), will convene a hearing to examine the geopolitical potential of U.S. energy resources tomorrow at 10 a.m. ET. The hearing is entitled “The Geopolitical Potential of the U.S. Energy Boom.”

Chairman Royce on the hearing:“Current U.S. policies that restrict energy exports weaken our diplomatic efforts. Exporting U.S. energy not only benefits our national security, it also boosts the U.S. economy and creates American jobs. This hearing presents the Committee with an especially timely opportunity to examine how to better utilize U.S. natural resources in an effort to break Russia’s energy grip over Ukraine and other European countries, which undermines their security.”

Following the Russian military aggression against Ukraine, Chairman Royce has been a vocal proponent of the United States taking steps to increase energy exports to reduce Vladimir Putin’s strategic leverage.

On March 11, the House overwhelmingly passed H. Res. 499, authored by Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Eliot Engel, which condemns the violation of Ukrainian sovereignty by Russian forces, endorses sanctions on Russia and calls on the U.S. to promote increased natural gas exports to reduce Putin’s leverage. Also last week, Royce penned an op-ed in the Orange County Register calling for increased U.S. energy exports.

On Friday, Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel (D-NY), introduced H.R. 4278, legislation to promote Ukraine’s sovereignty and democratic institutions while sanctioning those who have sought to undermine Ukraine’s independence and stability. Today, the Committee is considering that legislation.